The Oriental Department and the East Asia Department jointly manage the Oriental and East Asia Reading Room.

It is principally aimed at serving specialist users.

The reference collection in the reading room contains approximately 34,000 volumes, primarily general and specialist bibliographies, reference and standard works on states, people, cultures, languages and literatures of Asia and Africa. The holdings are arranged systematically and descriptions can be accessed via StabiKat.

Use of Oriental Manuscripts and Other Special Collections

Due to the relocation of the collection, Oriental manuscripts will not be available for use until October 31, 2026.

Starting November 1, 2026, manuscripts and other special materials managed by the Oriental Department will be made available for consultation in the Vivarium Reading Room.

You can find more information on the conditions of use here.